Ted DiBiase Jr. has released a statement after being found not guilty on multiple charges.
The former WWE Tag Team Champion and son of WWE Hall of Famer The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase was found not guilty on 13 charges related to embezzlement, conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering on Friday.
The case stemmed from a welfare fraud scandal involving the misuse of state funds in Mississippi. DiBiase Jr. had been facing more than 160 years in federal prison.
On Saturday, DiBiase Jr. published a video with the following caption:
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.’ Romans 12:19 All Glory to God! I want to thank Scott Gilbert, Sidney Lampton Morris, and Eric Herschman for believing the truth and fighting for justice Apparently I didn’t hit the post button yesterday. Haven’t really used social media in 3-4 yrs really. But I did cut my grass, and I’m back”
DiBiase Jr. also addressed the media following his acquittal on Friday, saying:
“They got it right. And I give all the glory to God. I give all the credit to my lord and savior, to [my legal team]. I think they did an amazing job of portraying the truth,” DiBiase said. “Seven years of being slandered and made to be something that is completely false has about torn my family apart, but we’re strong. And I’ve had so many friends and so much family that have come around us. And I’m proud that we’ve walked through this. And I’m so thankful that it’s over.”
DiBiase’s video is available below:
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” Romans 12:19
All Glory to God! 🙌🏼
I want to thank Scott Gilbert, Sidney Lampton Morris, and Eric Herschman for believing the truth… pic.twitter.com/CElONIU27o
It’s two, two, two reviews of Mid-South Wrestling for the price of one on this week’s Big Vinny V Show with your host, Vince Verhei.
We have plenty of action with two episodes to review with plenty of big names and plenty of newsworthy events.
Our first episode starts with the Rock & Roll Express naming the very dangerous stipulations for their title match against the Midnight Express, then move on to major trouble between longtime partners Buddy Landel and Butch Reed, setting up the long-awaited alliance of the Hacksaws.
Also, Los Guerreros make their presence known with an ugly, yet predictable, response from the Mid-South crowd.
In the next episode, we get Ted DiBiase vs. Magnum TA in an unadvertised opener out of nowhere that might explain a lot of Tony Khan’s promotional tendencies.
Then we wrap things up with a major heat angle with Jim Duggan getting laid out (again) and the latest tremendous match between Adrian Street and Bill Dundee, which may be my new favorite feud.
With TNA airing an all-promo Impact last Thursday, let’s return to the glorious world of 1984 Mid-South Wrestling for this week’s Big Vinny V Show.
And what an episode this was.
Ted DiBiase made his return to the promotion and immediately destroyed Hacksaw Jim Duggan, though the circumstances of that destruction are not clear
Buddy Landel joined General Skandor Akbar’s army and Akbar’s other weapon, the Missing Link, wrestled a horrible match
Hacksaw Butch Reed faced Brickhouse Brown in a grudge match
Ernie Ladd challenged Magnum TA for the North American title
The Rock n’ Roll Express demonstrated the straightjacket they are going to put on Jim Cornette with a shocking conclusion that nobody could possibly have seen coming…except every single fan in the building
“Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase was “really sad” to hear about the death of Virgil.
Virgil (real name Mike Jones) passed away at 72 years old this week after years of declining health. Virgil had been diagnosed with dementia and suffered multiple strokes in 2022.
Virgil was best known for his pairing with DiBiase in the WWF. After originally playing the role of DiBiase’s bodyguard, Virgil turned babyface and went on to win the Million Dollar Championship from DiBiase at SummerSlam 1991.
On his Everybody’s Got A Pod podcast, DiBiase reflected on Virgil’s passing and some of the difficulties they had in their friendship:
Oh gosh. I was really sad to hear that. Mike Jones is Virgil’s real name, or was Virgil’s real name. And we met in the WWE office when this whole thing with the Million Dollar Man started. Back then, Mike had, I mean oh my gosh, he had this tremendous body and kept himself in shape and eventually that was his role. He was like the bodyguard. I would run my mouth and if somebody wanted to say something, I would back up and say, ‘Virgil, take over.’ [laughs]
We did a thing where basically as Virgil, Mike gets tired of all my crap and just says, ‘I’m not doing it anymore.’ So we ended up having a one-off and had a match. And doggone it, Mike was a great guy, nice guy. And like I said, to keep your body in that kind of shape takes a lot of discipline. And he was very good at that. He was much better at doing that than I obviously was, in terms of keeping his body in great shape. But I just wish that he had had more wrestling savvy. I don’t know how to put it any other way, because if he could have really wrestled, we could have had a good run. But basically it was on and it was over pretty quick. Good ol’ Virgil. He didn’t have the charisma, you know. It was probably over before it really started.
But, you know, we continued to be friends. I would see him at some of the Comic-Cons from time to time. I told him going forward, I said, ‘If you get booked on any of the Comic-Cons and we end up there together, then please come and sit with me.’ I did that much, but the reason that I stopped doing it was things that Virgil had said to some fans that just, you know, it wasn’t right. But I’m looking back at it from where I am now and I’m going — see, he never would say that to me, he didn’t want anybody to know that he was struggling. Later, I did find out. I can’t remember the guy’s name that was his caretaker, but he was seeing to it that he was taken care of a little bit better. I just don’t know. It’s mind-boggling to me because I don’t know who he was living with or how he was living, but I know that it was not good. It’s just a sad story.
“I just hope that Virgil’s at peace, regardless of anything else,” DiBiase’s co-host Marcus DeAngelo said. “I know that you and he didn’t always see eye to eye but were ultimately always friends. Regardless of all of it, I’m glad that he has a legacy that’s forever been cemented in professional wrestling.”
“Yeah, me too,” DiBiase added.
Virgil and DiBiase also worked together in WCW when they were both members of the nWo. Later in life, Virgil had a resurgence as a comedy character that included multiple cameo appearances for AEW.
On this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, let’s take a look back at a retro Apter mag: the April 1988 issue of Inside Wrestling.
This issue features a look at the storyline run-up to the Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant feud where Ted DiBiase tried to buy the WWF World title from Andre.
Also in this issue are features on Lex Luger vs. Ric Flair, Sgt. Slaughter, Jimmy Jack Funk, some great VHS ads, Michael Hayes, King Kong Bundy, and the Von Erichs. This fun issue also includes the Roll Call of Champions.
Ted DiBiase Sr. believes the only reason his family is being targeted as part of the Mississippi welfare funds scandal is due to his famous name.
DiBiase Sr. and sons DiBiase Jr. and Brett DiBiase are being sued by the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The state is alleging the father and sons misappropriated funds meant to go to nonprofit organizations to address poverty.
DiBiase spoke with News 4 Jacksonville recently about the case and referred to it as “a bunch of garbage.”
“We’re doing good,” said DiBiase. “And all of that is a bunch of garbage. I’m not at liberty to talk about it but you know it’s kind of like they’re looking for a scapegoat.”
He continued to say that his family is being made a scapegoat.
“We’re caught in the middle of it. If I didn’t have a celebrity name they wouldn’t even be looking at me,” DiBiase continued.
The lawsuit lists DiBiase Sr. as owing $1,971,223, DiBiase Jr. as owing $2,897,487, and Brett DiBiase as owing $824,258.
Dibiase Jr. has been charged criminally in relation to the scandal as well. He is facing six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, four counts of money laundering, and two counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.
Ted Dibiase says he’s been dealing with some health problems.
The 69-year-old revealed on his Everybody’s Got A Pod podcast that doctors told him he has “severe brain trauma.”
Dibiase said
I’m dealing with this, this is legit. I don’t have Alzheimer’s and I don’t have dementia but they said, ‘Ted, you have something, we just simply call it severe brain trauma.’ I said, ‘Really?’ I only wrestled for maybe almost 20 years, so I’m not surprised that I might have a little brain trauma.
What it affects is my memory and they say it’ll be easier for you to remember something you did 40 or 50 years ago but the short-term memory, some of the stuff right now, it’s bits and pieces.
Dibiase continued to talk about the schedule he kept during his wrestling career and how that may have impacted his health. He said:
There were no days off, that was seven days a week we wrestled. Until I went to the WWF and even then when I first started with them, it was three straight weeks on, 21 days, 21 cities, and then you go home for a week. Then they eventually changed it to 10 on, three off, four on, and three off, so you were home a little more.
But again, I thank God I’m still here.
Dibiase is one of 38 people being sued by the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The lawsuit alleges that Dibiase owes the state $1,971,223 in funds that were meant to go to nonprofit organizations to address poverty in the state. Dibiase’s son, Ted Dibiase Jr., has been charged criminally for his role in the scandal.
Dibiase was voted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996. He also was voted Best Gimmick in 1987, Best Heel in 1987 & 1988, Best Technical Wrestler (now the Bryan Danielson Award) from 1979-1981, Feud of the Year (w/ Junk Yard Dog) in 1982, and Feud of the Year (w/ Jim Duggan) in 1985.
Just in time for the release of my new book, DragonKingKarl’s 1983 Pro Wrestling Omnibus,let’s review the Fall 1983 issue of the Apter magazines’ quarterly special: Wrestling Superstars.
This issue focused heavily on Georgia Championship Wrestling who was going through some things in 1983. Yes, the “Last Battle of Atlanta” was happening, but there was discontent within the NWA that was brewing.
I also delve into the features on Tommy Rich, Buzz Sawyer, Larry Zbyszko, the Iron Sheik, and much more.
Ted DiBiase and his sons Ted Jr. and Brett DiBiase have been sued by the state of Mississippi as the state seeks to reclaim $24 million dollars of misused federal funds meant for welfare.
Mississippi Today (h/t WLOX) is reporting that the DiBiase family have been named in a civil lawsuit by the Mississippi Department of Human Services. 38 people overall are being sued over squandering welfare money meant to address poverty in the state.
The lawsuit alleges that Nancy New and her son Zack New used their nonprofit to illegally funnel ‘tens of millions’ of dollars into other nonprofits. John Davis, who was then the director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, befriended Ted DiBiase Jr. and elevated him within the department to receive payment from two of the New nonprofits totaling over $3 million dollars in anti-poverty funds. The funds were meant to “address the multiple needs of inner-city youth” despite DiBiase Jr. possessing no qualifications to provide those services in relation to the federal grant called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF.
Davis was reindicted in March on bribery and conspiracy charges. Nancy and Zack New, who recently pleaded guilty on seperate federal charges for using public school funds for their private school, have recieved plea deals in the state welfare fraud case and are cooperating with prosecutors.
Ted DiBiase Jr., the lawsuit alleges, later urged Davis to divert $1.7 million to Ted DiBiase Sr.’s ministry called Heart of David. However, DiBiase allegedly used some of the money for his own personal expenses.
Brett DiBiase, who also received money from two of New’s nonprofits, faced criminal charges as a result of his part in the misuse of TANF funds and pleaded guilty to fraud in 2020. He later agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
The lawsuit lists Ted DiBiase Sr. owing $1,971,223, Ted DiBiase Jr. $2,897,487, and Brett DiBiase $824,258.
Others named in the lawsuit include football stars Brett Farve, Paul Lacoste, and Marcus Dupree,
Cameron Grimes is getting another shot at the Million Dollar Championship.
It was announced tonight that LA Knight will defend his Million Dollar Championship against Grimes at NXT TakeOver 36. If Grimes loses, “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase will have to become Knight’s butler.
Grimes has been Knight’s butler in storyline since unsuccessfully challenging for the Million Dollar Championship at NXT Great American Bash last month. Knight won the title by defeating Grimes in a ladder match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House this June.
Knight turned against DiBiase and attacked him after TakeOver: In Your House. Grimes then made the save for DiBiase.
On last week’s NXT, Knight walked out on Grimes during a tag team match against The Grizzled Young Veterans. After Grimes lost, DiBiase came out to the ring and told Grimes that he has to find some way to get out of being Knight’s butler.
Knight defeated Andre Chase on tonight’s NXT. DiBiase then appeared after the match and challenged Knight to give Grimes another shot at the Million Dollar title. The only way Knight would agree is if DiBiase would become Knight’s butler if Grimes loses. Grimes didn’t want DiBiase to accept, but DiBiase agreed to the stipulation and the match was made official.
TakeOver 36 is taking place on Sunday, August 22. Here’s the updated card for the show:
NXT Champion Karrion Kross defends against Samoa Joe
NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez defends against Dakota Kai
NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER defends against Ilja Dragunov
The Undisputed Finale: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly (two-out-of-three falls match)
Million Dollar Champion LA Knight defends against Cameron Grimes (if Grimes loses, Ted DiBiase has to become Knight’s butler)
The first fall for Cole vs. O’Reilly will be a traditional wrestling match. The second fall will be a street fight. If necessary, the third fall will be a steel cage match.
The stakes have been raised for Cameron Grimes vs. LA Knight at NXT TakeOver: In Your House.
It was announced on tonight’s NXT that the Million Dollar Championship will be making its return at Sunday’s TakeOver event. Grimes vs. Knight will now be a ladder match where the winner will become the Million Dollar Champion.
The story of Grimes vs. Knight at TakeOver is that Grimes and Knight have each been vying for Ted DiBiase to choose them to be the wrestler to carry on his Million Dollar legacy. The return of the Million Dollar Championship was the “Priceless Announcement” that WWE hyped that DiBiase would be making on tonight’s NXT.
The Million Dollar Championship was first introduced by DiBiase as an unofficial title in 1989. It was most recently featured on WWE television when Ted DiBiase Jr. held it in 2010.
Here’s the updated card for TakeOver: In Your House:
NXT Champion Karrion Kross defends against Kyle O’Reilly, Pete Dunne, Johnny Gargano, and Adam Cole in a fatal five-way match’
NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez defends against Ember Moon
Winner-take-all six-man tag match: NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed & NXT Tag Team Champions MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) defend against Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde)
Ladder match for the Million Dollar Championship: Cameron Grimes vs. LA Knight
WWE has announced a couple of additions to the lineup for NXT’s TakeOver: In Your House go-home show.
– At Sunday’s TakeOver event, Karrion Kross will defend his NXT Championship against Kyle O’Reilly, Pete Dunne, Johnny Gargano, and Adam Cole in a fatal five-way match. But before that match happens, there will be a face-off segment with Kross and his challengers on this Tuesday’s NXT episode.
A triple threat match between O’Reilly, Dunne, and Gargano on last week’s NXT had originally been set to determine Kross’ challenger for TakeOver: In Your House, but Cole interrupted the match and attacked all three wrestlers. Cole cut a promo on Kross later in the show, which led to Kross confronting Cole. Kross told NXT general manager William Regal that he wanted to face all four of O’Reilly, Dunne, Gargano, and Cole at TakeOver.
– WWE is also hyping that Ted DiBiase will make a “Priceless Announcement” on this Tuesday’s NXT. The announcement comes in advance of Cameron Grimes facing LA Knight at TakeOver: In Your House.
Grimes and Knight have each been vying for DiBiase to choose them as the wrestler to carry on his Million Dollar legacy. A distraction by Grimes on last week’s NXT caused Knight to lose a match against Jake Atlas. When he was interviewed backstage after the match, DiBiase said Knight dropped the ball but Grimes showed that it takes both brains and brawn.
DiBiase’s Million Dollar Championship appears on the poster for TakeOver: In Your House, but WWE has yet to confirm the return of the title or that it’s going to play a part in Grimes and Knight’s match at TakeOver.
Here’s the updated lineup for this Tuesday’s NXT:
Face-off with NXT Champion Karrion Kross, Kyle O’Reilly, Pete Dunne, Johnny Gargano, and Adam Cole
Ember Moon vs. Dakota Kai
Oney Lorcan vs. Austin Theory
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Killian Dain
Grammy-nominated pop-rock and nu-metal artist Poppy returns to NXT
WWE has announced a few additions to the lineup for next week’s NXT.
Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon will face NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai in a tag team match on NXT next Tuesday. The show will also feature Bobby Fish’s return to in-ring action as he faces Pete Dunne.
Plus, there will be a “Million Dollar Face-Off” segment with Cameron Grimes and “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase on NXT next Tuesday. DiBiase distracted Grimes tonight and caused him to lose a match against Jake Atlas. DiBiase had appeared in videos each of the past three weeks where he used his wealth to upstage Grimes.
Blackheart & Moon and Gonzalez & Kai are looking to get the first shot at Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell’s NXT Women’s Tag Team titles. Gonzalez & Kai were the inaugural NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, but they lost the titles to Blackheart & Moon on the same night that the titles were introduced. LeRae & Hartwell became NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions by defeating Blackheart & Moon in a street fight two weeks ago.
Gonzalez retained her NXT Women’s Championship against Mercedes Martinez on NXT last week. In a post-show video, Gonzalez went to Martinez and told Martinez that she respects her. Kai appeared to be angry that Gonzalez did that. Gonzalez and Kai accused interviewer McKenzie Mitchell of trying to start things when she asked them about it tonight. Kai said they can agree or disagree and still be friends.
Next week will be the first time Fish has wrestled since undergoing triceps surgery following the WarGames match where Undisputed Era defeated Pat McAfee, Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch at TakeOver: WarGames last December.
Fish returned to NXT TV last week and saved Kyle O’Reilly from an attack by Dunne and Lorcan. O’Reilly thanked Fish for saving him, but he told Fish that he’s doing his own thing now. Fish said he has his own scores to settle too and will see O’Reilly when he sees him. Fish was interviewed on NXT tonight and said last week had little to do with O’Reilly and everything to do with getting revenge on Dunne and Lorcan for injuring him.
When asked about his goals during an interview on tonight’s NXT, Dunne said it’s time for him to go after the NXT Championship.
Here’s the updated lineup for next Tuesday’s NXT:
NXT Champion Karrion Kross defends against Finn Balor
Franky Monet’s in-ring debut
Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon vs. Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai
Bobby Fish vs. Pete Dunne
Cameron Grimes-Ted DiBiase Million Dollar Face-Off
After appearing in videos each of the past three weeks, “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase is set to make his first in-person appearance on NXT.
DiBiase has announced that he’ll be appearing live at the Capitol Wrestling Center on Tuesday’s episode of NXT. DiBiase is involved in a storyline where he’s used his wealth to repeatedly upstage Cameron Grimes.
On NXT last week, a video aired where DiBiase outbid Grimes at an auction to buy a mansion in Orlando, Florida. DiBiase tweeted a video today where he said the best part about buying property in Orlando is that it’s just a short limousine ride away from the Capitol Wrestling Center. DiBiase said he’ll see Grimes on Tuesday’s NXT.
Grimes’ character became extravagantly wealthy earlier this year after investing in GameStop stock and purchasing Dogecoin. In February, Grimes tried to copy DiBiase’s bit where he offers someone money to dribble a basketball and then kicks the ball away. After he failed to replicate the bit multiple times, Grimes got frustrated and said DiBiase isn’t smarter than him.
DiBiase has since outbid Grimes for an NFT of NBA player Ja Morant, upstaged Grimes by showing off a more expensive watch after Grimes tried to buy the most expensive one in the city, bought out a club that Grimes was trying to get a VIP booth at, and outbid him for the mansion.
Here’s the updated lineup for Tuesday’s NXT:
Steel cage match: NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano defends against Bronson Reed
– “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase made an appearance on tonight’s NXT and interacted with Cameron Grimes.
There was a segment on tonight’s show where Grimes went to a jewelry store and tried to buy the most expensive watch in the city. After Grimes purchased a watch from the store, DiBiase appeared next to Grimes and told him it’s not a bad watch — but it’s not a million dollar watch. DiBiase showed Grimes his own watch and laughed in Grimes’ face.
Grimes’ character became extravagantly wealthy after investing in GameStop stock and purchasing Dogecoin. DiBiase had been referenced on NXT last week when Grimes said he attempted to buy an NFT of NBA player Ja Morant, but DiBiase came in and outbid him after the auction was over.
In February, Grimes tried to copy DiBiase’s bit where he offers someone money to dribble a basketball and then kicks the ball away. After he failed to replicate the bit multiple times, Grimes got frustrated and said DiBiase isn’t smarter than him.
DiBiase said during an appearance on Booker T’s Hall of Fame podcast earlier this month that he was scheduled to go to the WWE Performance Center to do something involving Grimes: “As a matter of fact, I’m supposed to go down to the developmental center pretty soon. I think I’m gonna do something with that new guy, their new money guy, Cameron Grimes or something. I’m gonna have a little feud with him.”
– A teaser for “Diamond Mine” also aired on tonight’s NXT. The teaser showed footage of unidentified athletes working out at an MMA gym. “Thrive. Achieve. Succeed,” “Push Beyond, “Pressure Makes Diamonds,” “Pressure is Pleasure,” “Train. Perform. Become,” and “Fight. Win. Repeat” appeared on the screen during the teaser:
WWE had filed a trademark for “Diamond Mine” in December. This was the first teaser using the Diamond Mine name.
